Foundation Blog

Welcome to the blog for our foundation classes. The year group blogs are a great communication tool. Teachers will be posting news, photographs, details of homework, examples of work, and anything they wish to share with their pupils and parents. Please speak to your class teacher if you have any question, feedback or concerns.

Mrs Barwin

Blue Class Teacher

Miss Lewis

Red Class Teacher

Mrs Reed

Additional Teaching Support

Mrs Haynes

Additional Teaching Support

Our children usually start school, aged 4, into the Foundation Stage Classes. We believe that they should have a slow and steady start to school so that they can become confident in their surroundings and their teachers, feel safe and supported by the routines and valued as individuals to learn and grow in every way. The children enjoy their learning which follows the guidance in the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. We offer the children a wide range of stimulating and enriched experiences, both indoors and outdoors, so they can develop their skills in an interesting context.

Today Red and Blue Class went into Assembly with Miss Cooper. She read the story “Giraffes Can’t Dance” and talked about how the Year 1 and Year 2 children need to set a good example to the new Reception Children.

We then went outside to play on the bikes and scooters. We used today to remind the children to take turns, share and how to help each other, working cooperatively. The children had a great time.

Yesterday and today, Red and Blue class stayed for their first lunch at school. They lined up and said their name to receive a stick and then continued on to the hatch to show Sam their choice.

They were given some vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, then their main meal and a side of either potatoes or pasta. Then they chose a pudding! Choices were, lemon sponge with custard, pancakes with ice cream, fruit and a biscuit, jelly and biscuit, a yoghurt or cheese and crackers.

They used their cutlery to eat and then cleared up their own lunch once they had finished.

After lunch they had playtime outside with year 1 and 2, some children enjoyed seeing their big brothers or sisters.

Our new children have had a great first week in school. They have arrived on time and come into class happy and ready to learn. This week has been all about coming into a new school, meeting new friends and learning where things are and more importantly, where they get put away.

The children have learnt about The Golden Rules, had snack and milk, been on the apparatus, learnt in the areas, had mini Maths Meetings and toured the Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms.

Next week, collection is

12:00 on Monday and Tuesday. 1:20 on Wednesday and Thursday. 3:15 on Friday.

Next week, your children will complete their first painting, have a tour of the school, meet the School Cooks, stay for lunch, have their lunchtime play with Key Stage 1 and have their first Music Lesson with our Music Specialist Mr Bainbridge.

We are still confirming which children can’t appear on our website, we hope to be able to attach photos next week.

Thank you for the fantastic effort made in collecting the Sainsbury Active vouchers. You collected and sent in 10,400 altogether! This means that we were able to order 30 “shape mats” to be used for PE. There were just over 200 vouchers left after this so we also ordered a few more skipping ropes, as they frequently wear out and need replacing. The resources should arrive before October. The Sainsbury vouchers are effectively the school’s budget for PE equipment so your effort in supporting the school is very much appreciated.

Hurray! The weather was kind and sports day went ahead on the first scheduled date! Thank you to all the parents for coming to support your children and also helping with a group. The children participated with gusto and confidence, they used their skills very well and showed great competitive spirit – winning with pride and losing with grace and good humour, for most part. Well done everyone, from Reception to Year 2 you are very good sports. It’s such a delight seeing all the children give their all and show their developing athletic skills.

The Year 5s did a fantastic job of organising and helping with all the activities. You are going to be amazing Year 6 children, if you show this level of maturity and communication this year. Thank you to Mrs Beattie for bringing the children over and helping with setting them up at the races.

Also, thank you to CHISS for providing the very welcome ice-lollies at the end.

As part of Healthy Eating Week, Red and Blue class took part in a fruit workshop this afternoon.

They had a look at the outside of a variety of fruit and predicted what colour the fruit would be inside. They were surprised that a dragon fruit was white and black inside and that a cantaloupe was orange inside.

They then had the option to try some fruit including dragon fruit, apple, blueberries, star fruit, grapefruit and take part in a lime challenge, eating it without pulling a face.

We watched as 2 children from each class rode a bike to blend a smoothie which they got to try later.

We asked what they thought of the workshop

“I liked trying new things” Caitlin

“I liked eating the fruit” Eli and Isha

“I like drinking the smoothies” Izma

“I enjoyed eating the apple” Chace

“I liked it when the teachers went on the bikes” Valentina – Yes they did get us to have a go!!

What a fantastic day we all had at Kew Gardens. Despite arriving slightly late due to traffic into London, we still managed to have a day packed with exciting adventures.

We had an activity ran by the Kew’s team when the children were looking for mini-beasts in the local trees and trying to identify them. They were trying to find out who had killed the fly in a picture puzzle. Then they visited a green house where they saw and talked about some carnivorous plants.

After lunch under the cool shades of a tree, we had a quick tour around the gardens. We really enjoyed the glass house with its foreign vegetation. The children talked about the plants from the different continents they have been learning (and singing) about. They were particularly surprised with the banana tree! Just opposite the glass house is the lily pad house and the children were really impressed by the size of the pads and the stunning beauty of the lilies.

Before the end of our wonderful trip, we had a stroll towards the beehive where we took our group photo.

On Friday the children will be writing their recount of today’s trip and I’m sure they will add much more detail to my short retelling.

Once again, thank you very much to all the parents who came with us and made this learning experience possible.

All I can say is that the coach sounded much quieter on our way back. Now to a well deserved rest and see you all back tomorrow.